It is no secret that most college football national champions come from warmer, tropical climates. Before the Michigan Wolverines won the national title last season, 19 of the last 20 winners had come from hot, sunny environments.
Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin has to convince recruits the weather in Pennsylvania is not bad in the winter. A downpour of snow this week came back to bite him.
Penn State Looking to Prove Cold Weather Cities Can Win National Titles
When you think of college football teams winning national championships, the glamour and glitz of Florida or California come to mind. Penn State is out to prove you don’t have to wear suntan lotion on campus to win a national championship.
After the Wolverines won the title last season, the doors propped open for recruits to view cold weather climates as having an opportunity to win it all. Michigan was the first school in 20 years to win a national title and have the barometer dip below freezing.
Franklin sometimes gets the wrath of his recruits for not being able to offer palm trees and sunshine in the winter.
“First of all, you described us as a cold-weather team,” Franklin begins, responding to a question. “I don’t know if I necessarily would describe us that way in recruiting. We don’t really sell it that way. I will say this: I was a little apprehensive this year for the first year we had our mid-year guys come in early. And it’s turned out to be a real positive. I’ll be very comfortable doing it moving forward.”
Penn State has some Florida kids on its roster. When they showed up, there was more snow on the ground than Franklin would have liked. It was not a good look for the State College Chamber of Commerce. The players thought they got more than they bargained for.
“I think we had three guys from Florida show up, and we have gotten more snow in the last two weeks than I can remember in a long time in Pennsylvania,” Franklin said. “So, they’re kind of looking at me right now like this isn’t what you sold us on.”
“But I think at the end of the day, you look at college football and you look at the history, and obviously a place like Notre Dame and Penn State, tremendous history. I think there are some changes going on right now. What that is specific to, I’m not necessarily sure. I don’t know if there’s enough data points and enough information to make a strong statement on it.”
Franklin believes the landscape of college football has changed. Recruiting is different, and players are not afraid to change climates. Penn State hopes to be able to sell its program to kids from all around the nation.
“But as we all know, there’s been a ton of changes in college football really over the last five years, probably more so than maybe in the 25 years before it,” Franklin said.
“And the programs that are embracing that, the programs that are being creative and aggressive, and I also think a really important word is being bold, bold and aggressive, which is what we’re trying to do, then I think it’s helping. Those guys are showing up.”
Franklin likes the idea that the College Football Playoffs are as diverse as they are. Teams from Idaho to Texas, cold weather to warm weather, compete on a level playing field for the right to be called champions.
When the SMU Mustangs traveled to Penn State for a first-round contest, the weather was lopsided and definitely not what the Texas-based program was used to playing in. The College Football Playoff is not like the NCAA Tournament in basketball. Weather becomes a factor as the games are, for the most part, not played indoors.
“You look at the playoffs right now — College Football Playoff — there’s a ton of teams. I also think it’s good for college football that there’s more teams represented, there’s more parts of the country represented, and it’s not kind of the same old story,” Franklin said.
“Not exactly sure. We’ll have a better idea maybe a couple years from now, but I do think it’s a good storyline for college football right now.”
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